First off I am always looking for healthier ways to eat and Pasta really is not one of the best options. However for all you out there who are brave and willing to try something else, let me present Shirataki noodles. They are a tofu noodle and one bag is a whopping 40 calories. My local Harris Teeter sells them 2 bags for three dollars, at that particular store they come in fettuccini, spaghetti and now elbow macaroni.  These noodles are almost totally a beneficial type of fiber, they have almost no “bad” carbohydrates. There are some indications that they may have other health benefits as well. They are a perfect substitute for pasta and will help with weight watcher everywhere.

One thing to remember with these noodles that I had to learn….  They stink! They come packaged in a watery solution to keep them fresh. They need no cooking. When you get them home drain them from the solution and rinse, rinse, rinse! Let them run dry after rinsing (a lot) You can eat them after rinsing in hot water, or you can do what I do and cook them in a pan with a bit of oil and salt and pepper. It dries them out a little firming them up and adds some marvelous flavor. 

Enough of that, last weekend My husband and I went to Láuberge Provencale a French country in and dining experience. Ooh LALA..  While there I had Mussels for the first time, and to my surprise as well as the delight of the table, I really enjoyed them.  So I decided to try my hand at making a nice dish myself.

The briny mussels accompanied by the sweet tomatoes, join the fresh pungent basil in a nice arrangement.

I hope you enjoy this heart healthy meal!

You will need;

2 tbs olive oil

6oz spaghetti (or two packages of tofu noodles)

2 large shallots, minced

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1 lb mussels (my store only sold 2 lb bags so I will doing doing the full 2 lbs)

½ cup dry white wine

1 tsp lemon zest

¾ lb cheery tomatoes halved

½ cup slivered fresh basil

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare your noodles whichever kind you opted for.

 

Meanwhile in a large heavy fry pan over medium high heat, sauté the shallots (I added some garlic minced optional) and the red pepper flakes until the shallots are cooked but not browned. About 2 minutes. Add the mussels, wine and lemon zest. Cover the pan and cook until the mussels shells begin to open about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes or until the tomatoes are wilting.

Add the oil to the pasta along with the basil and toss. Plate the pasta and with a slotted spoon portion out the mussels between the plates, pour the remaining sauce over the pasta and serve with a nice crispy baguette to soak up the sauce.

This was amazing!

Bon Appetite

 

 

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